Improvement in straw-cutters



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NvPETERs, PHOTUUTHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON o C *atta-t time.

YALBERT amasser, or CLEVELAND, oHio.

Letters Patent No. 106,707, dated Auge-S1223, 1870.

IMPRovEMtiNT 1N` srRAW-CUTTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent aud-making part 'of the same Be it known that 1, ALBERT P. Massai', ot Cleveland, inthe count-y of Guyahoga ani'lState of Ohio, have invented certain new andusel'ul Improvements in Straw-Oiitters,oi` which the i'oliowingr isa description.

Plate 1.

Figure lis a side view of the straw-cutter. Figure 2 is a view ot' the opposite side of tig, 1.

Plate 2.

It'also relates to the construction and arrangement of the feed-roller, the object of'y which is to obtain to it a movement so that it may adjust itself to a variable amount o i straw, 85e., fed to the machine. Y

It furthermore relates to a reversable double gear, the object oi' which is to increase or lessen the speed of the feed-roller, as the nature' of the straw, 85e.,-

irlay require, all ot' which is hereinafter more fullyset fort-h. i

In ig.`1,'A represents the bodyor box of the strawcutter, mountedupon the legs and in which are ,arranged the feed-rollers, of' which l), tig. 4, revolves in lixed boxes or journal-seats, whereas the companion roller G revolves in vertical slots E, iig`. 1, one in each side oi' the body or box, so that it may have a vertical adjustment. f

The adjustable roller referred to is made to rotate by the guar, F, tig. 4, secured to the outer end of shaft G, tig. 5, one cud ot' which is journaledin the oscillating bearing H, whereas the oppositefend is secured to the roller by means oi' a pin ct projected through said roller, and through the end of the shaftfa slot b, lig. 7, being cut therein tor the lree admissioiiand lii`:.ovem`ent oi' the shaft, or rather the roller inclosing the shal't, as' shown in iig. (5, in which it will be seen that the roller is hollow, and that the shaft passes tlirongli it longitudinally, having one end thereof se` cured to it in the manner as above described, and whereby it i's made to revolve as above said.

1t will he obvious that a roller thus journaled willl be made to revolve by its gear F, referred to, engag- -ing with the series of gears I, A', and K, fig. 2, and -at the same time it is susceptible ot' a vvariable movement \vholly,'or either of the ends, as the case may he, in order to adjust itself to thc-straw, Ste., fed to the machine. Thus the end Lti-f. 6, ofthe shai't and roller move together, whereas only the opposite 6nd of the roller moves, the shaf't being restrained from such movement by its continemeut in the oscillating bearing H.

VThe space between the-inside of the roller and` the shaft allows to the roller sniicient latitude of Inovenient to adjust itself to a variable amount of straw,

' hay, 85e., that may pass between the rollers, and thus run freely without interfering with the engagement of the gear F with the wheel I, whereby it is operated as aforesaid; when the flirt-her end ofthe roller is elevated, the oscillating shalt or stay H` moves, thereby` adapting the jouriial-seat to the position of the shaft, and thus avoid cramping the journal in the box.

The roller C is made to approximate the roller D by the; springs M, figs. l and 2, attached to said roller by the links N, the'uppcr end of'which embraces the end of `lthe roller, as seen in ig. 1. l

By cdi'istructing and arranging the roller inthe inannei' as above described, is avoided the necessity of having driving gear with deep teeth, which, in tlieoi'- dinary straw-cutters having an adj ustahle roller, is ifeqnired in order to. continue the engagement ofthe gearing, when the upper roller is raised iiioi'e or less to admit the passing ot' the straw between the rollers.

`In consequence ot' such long toothed gear there is necessarily a loss ol' power resulting from the great amount of friction produced by the action of the gear upon each other, and not unfrequently the teeth oi' the'geai break i-ii consequence ot" this deep contact; such breakage is also avoided by this manner of alljustiiig the rollers. v

A further improvement consist in the arrangement of the stationary cut-ter 0, figs. l and 5..

In tig. l it will beseen that the plane of the cutter is inaradial line ot' the axis oi' the revolving cutter P, or an a].ipi'oxiiiiation thereto, ot' which Q is the shait to which said cutter is attached, thereby ohtaining to ita more `shearing-likecut than it' the plane oi' the cutter was arranged horizontally, as it is inthe ordinary machine.

The position of the cutterniay be inverted; thus l the rear edge may be elevated above the axial hue; in this position the rotation of the cutterP is reversed.

ln thisinclined position ol' the cutter O the act of cutting isdone with greater ease and facility, and, therefore, with less expenditure oi' power than in the manner above referred to.

rhe critter' O may be adjusted near to oraway from the rev'olving cutter by means ofthe set-screws, inditherewith.

cated by the dotted lines a, figs. 2 and 5;'said screws are set in the bosses R, in whiclrthe'elnl's ot' the cutter arel held, by the nutsS, thereby giving an easy adjustment tothe cutter; each end otl the cutteris 4held in a recess or groove cut in the sides of the case,

and which project into the bosses It, within reach ol' the'adjusting screws referred to.

It will be seen, on examination of the drawing, that the ends of the stationary cutter' O are extended in 'the form of bolts, S', fig. 5, Athrough the sides of the `case, and secured thus by the nuts S. 4Bythis means the cutter is made to pertbrm the oliice ot' a stay bolt, thereby increasing the lateral strength ot' the box,

and thus dispensing wit-h an extra bolt for that purpose. 'lhe speed ofthe feed-roller may be graduated by the double pinion A', tigs. 5 and 3, by reversing the pin-` ions, thus disengaging the small pinion A fi'om the wheel 1, and placing the larger one B in engagement Claims.

. What Iclaim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' By this means the speed of 'theroller is 1. The hollow roller O, as arranged in combination with the shaft G, substantially in the-manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. rlhe adjustable feed-roller, when so arranged as to be operated by-lneans of an arm or shaft from the outsde`passing into the cavity `of said roller, and connected to itby a `coupling er joint., which will admit of the said roller being yielding as it rotates, substantiall y as 'and t'or lthe purpose described.

3. The stationary cutter O,when arranged in suoli relation to the revolving cut-ter P that the plane thereof shall be in a radial lille of' the axis of the. revolving cutter O, in the mannersubstantially as described, and fol-the purpose specitied.

4. The oscillating bearing H, in combination with the adjustable roller C, arranged in relation to each other, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The two rever-sable pinions'A B', of' dilierent radii, revolving upon the same axis, in combination with the wheel I and feed-rolls, substantially as and for the purpose set fort-h.

- 6. So arranging the stationary knife O in the t'ornr that its cutting-plane shallform an angle ot' ninety-tive degrees, or more, with a vertical plane thronghits cutting-edge, when said edge is not in the same horizontal plane as the axis'ot' the revolving cutter,substantially as and forA the purpose described. i

ALBERT P. MASSEY.

f Witnesses W. H. BURRIDGE, J. H. Bcamnce. l 

